The Office for Disability Issues has set up an Expert Panel to support the work of the cross-Government Independent Living Review, as announced in another place by my noble Friend the Baroness Royall on 14 July.

The role of the Expert Panel will be to shape and steer the Independent Living Review which we have set up to identify imaginative and practical solutions to support independent living for disabled people. The Independent Living Review Project Team will report regularly to the Expert Panel and ensure that its views are reflected as the review progresses.

The review, which will report in summer 2007, will:

Bring together the views and experience of central and local government officials, disabled people and organisations of disabled people;

develop imaginative new solutions in the areas of health, social care, transport, employment and housing;

develop thinking on the relationship between independent living and individual budgets; and

make practical proposals for activity to support independent living.

Dame Jane Campbell, former Chair of the Social Care Institute for Excellence, will chair the Expert Panel. Rob Greig, National Director for Learning Disabilities, will be Vice Chairman.

Expert Panel members include a range of experts in the field of independent living, including disabled people, and people from organisations of disabled people, user-led groups and service delivery organisations.

I am pleased to announce that members of the Independent Living Review Expert Panel are:

Dame Jane Campbell, Expert Panel Chair, Disability Rights Commissioner, Former Chair, Social Care Institute for Excellence

Rob Greig, Expert Panel Vice Chair, National Director for Valuing People, Co-chair of Learning Disability Task Force

Saghir Alam, Disability Rights Commission, lead Commissioner for Partnership and Capacity Building, member of CENTREX Race and Diversity Panel

Ian Basnett, Chair of Independent Living Committee, Joseph Rowntree Foundation

Nasa Begum, Principal Adviser for Participation, Social Care Institute of Excellence (SCIE)

Zoe Carter, User Involvement Network for Mental Health Services in North Essex

John Dixon, Joint Chair of Disability Committee, Association of Directors of Social Services

David Gardiner, UK Older People’s Advisory Group, Better Government for Older People

Fazilet Hadi, Director of Policy, Royal National Institute for the Blind

Frances Hasler, Head of User Participation, Commission for Social Care Inspection

Rowen Jade, Office for Disability Issues Advisory Group

Raymond Johnson, National Manager, People First

Elaine Morton, Chief Executive, Independent Living Funds

Menghi Mulchandani, Chair, National Centre for Independent Living

Jo Williams, Chief Executive, Mencap

Jean Willson, Chair of Centre 404 (formally Islington Mencap), A local organisation founded by parents of children with learning difficulties, which provides family support, learning and leisure opportunities, and supported housing

Gerry Zarb, Head of Independent Living Strategy, Disability Rights Commission

Government Departments on the Office for Disability Issues Board of Management will also be represented on the Panel.

The first meeting of the Expert Panel is being held today, 11 September 2006.